Flood-gate



(No Model.) 2 Sheet's-Sheet 1. M. A. EMMONS.

PLOODGATE.

IN VENTOR `(No ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet M. A. EMMONS. FLOOD GATE.

No. 334,420. Patented Jan. 19, 1886.

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NITEB STATES 'MELviN A; EMMoNs,

FLOOD PATENT OFFICE.

OF VAUSEON, OHIO.

:"BPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 334,420, dated January 19, 1886.

Application filed October 22, 1885.

To all whom t may concern/.r

Be it known that I, MELVIN A. EMMoNs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vauseon, in the county of Fulton and State of Ohio, have invented a'new and useful Improvement in Flood-Gates, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention has relation to improvements in iioodgates; and the novelty consists in the peculiar construction and combination of parts, substantially as lhereinafter fully set forth, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

My in vention has for its object to provide a floodgate which shall be automatically opened and closed by the rising and falling of the tide; to provide means for.locking said gates together when the tide has descended below the plane of the bottoms ofthe gates, and which are automatically operated by the opening of the gates, and to combine simplicity with strength and durability of construction and thorough effectiveness of operation.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is aperspective view of my improved dood-gate with one of the hinged gate-sections partly thrown open. Fig. 2 is an elevation with. the gates closed and locked together. Fig. 3 is a detail view showing one of the methods for hinging one of the gate-sections and pivoting the operating panel thereof. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through one of the gates, and Fig. 5 is a similar view. I

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures, A designates the supporting uprights or posts,arranged at opposite sides ofthe ditch, &c., and at a suitable distance apart, and said posts or uprights may be connected together at their upper ends by a cross beam or bar for the purpose of bracing and strengthening the posts.

B B designate the gates,hinged, as presently described, to the posts or uprights A, and arranged to automatically fold or close together, and be normally locked in such closed position. The gates are provided at their outer upper edges with an arm, b, and at their lower ends with another arm, b, of greater( Serial No. 180,653. (No model.)

length than its fellow arm, b, and each ot' said arms of the gates B B are journaled at their outer free ends in sockets orbearings b2, secured to uprights or posts A, whereby, when the gates are opened or swung outward, the longer ariii b' of each gate will force the lower outer edge thereof out of a vertical plane with the upper end of the gate,and said gatis are thus adapted to automatically close or fold together by gravity when there are no opposing forces to hold them open, as will be very readily understood.

The upper meeting ends of the gates, when closed,abut against a cross and limiting strip, c, secured to the lower face of the ci'oss-beain A', at or near the middle thereof, and said cross-beam A is further provided with a pivoted gravitating stop-block or catch, C, seated in a cut-away portion, a, of said cross-beam A', and having a locking-shoulder, c', and an outer beveled face, c2, for a purpose presently described, said lockingshoulder c being adapted to fit over the upper edges of the gates to lock them together.

One of the gates, preferably the gate B, has its panel d pivoted at or near its upper end in the vertical upright posts d thereof, and said panel d is adapted to move inward and turn on its pivots when the tide rises and presses against the outer vertical face thereof to o perate a sliding bar, E, to open or disengage the latch C, to permit the gates to automatically yield or swing backward to the pressure of the tide-water to permit the free passage of the saine and drift-wood and other matter through the gates.

The pivoted panel d of the gate B has a bracket, f, near its upper edge, to one side thereof, and to this bracket the lower end of the sliding operating-rod E is pivotally connected, said rod being bent, as at e, to bring the upper end against the vertical face of the upright d of -the gate, and to pass through a guide, E', secured to the said gate-upright d', and adapted to strike against the beveled face of the latch C when the panel d is operated.

F designates a catch-plate pivoted to the side edge of the gate B, above the lower end of the gate, and having a notch, g, and a beveled outer edge, g', against which a piv- IOO oted locking-arm, H, is adapted to strike and engage the notch g thereof when the gates are closed together. This locking-arm H is pivotally connected at one end to the bracket of the pivoted panel d, and pivoted at about its middle to one of the gate-uprights cl, and at its outer free end the locking-arm has a retaining shoulder or lug, h, to prevent the lateral disengagement of said arm H with the pivoted latch F.

The operation of my invention is obvious. The pivoted or hinged gates normally remain closed, the latch C in engagement with the upper ends thereof, and the locking-arm H lying within the notch of the latch F. Upon the rising of the tide the water presses against the pivoted panel d, which is forced inwardly when the water has attained sufcient head, and the inward and upward movement of the pivoted panel simultaneously operates the sliding bar E and the locking-arn1 H. The sliding bar E is elevated and strikes against the beveled face of the pivoted catch C and forces the same upwardly from engagement with the gate-edges, while the locking-arm H is oseillated or curved on its pivot, so that the outer end thereof is depressed from engagement with the notch of the latch F, the gates being thus simultaneously unlocked or disenbe employed, and the catches pivoted on one of the uprights, and the panels of said gates may be curved or shaped to conform to the shape of the ditch or stream.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination of the upright frame, the gravitating gates, a catch, O, pivoted to the cross-bar of the frame and adapted to lock both gates, when closed, a movable panel carried by one of said gates, and averticallymovable rod connected with the panel to elevate the pivoted catch from engagement with the gates, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the upright frame, the gates hinged thereto, a pivoted catch adapted to lock both of said gates, a movable panel carried by one of the gates, a movable rod connected with the panel to release the pivoted catch from the gates, and a lockingarm also connected to the panel, said arm being pivoted on one of the gates and engaging the fellow gate to lock the same, the pivoted catch and locking-arm being operated simultaneously by the movable panel to unlock the gates, substantially as described.

3. In a flood-gate, the combination of the posts, gravitating gates hinged thereto, a

gaged from their fastening devices and yield-wiel pivoted in one of said gates, a pivoted ing or opening to the pressure of the water, to permit the same to pass freely therethrough without obstruction, together with any driftwood and other matter contained therein. 'When the tide or water descends, the gates are automatically closed by gravity, and the locking devices engage themselves to lock the gates without requiring the presence of an attendant.

Other means than that shown and described herein for hinging the gates to the uprights and the locking devices may be changed or modified, if desired.

In small streams only one of the gates may catch, C, a sliding rod pivotally connected to thepanel and arranged between a guide secured to the gate, that carries the pivoted panel, a latch, F, secured to one of the gates, and a pivoted locking-arm connected to the panel and adapted to engage the latch F, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MELVIN A. EMMONS.

Vitnesses:

H. L. CHAPMAN, C. T. CHAPMAN. 

